Fan



July 7, 1942. w. A. NORRIS FAN Filed Jan. 21, 1941 INVENTOR. W. A. Norris.

Patented July 7, 1942 FAN William A. Norris, Alhambra, Calif., assignor to William H. Fabry and Rae H. Fabry, as joint tenants with right of survivorship Application January 21, 1941, Serial No. 375,226

2 Claims.

This invention relates to fans.

The general object of the invention is to provide a fan or air impeller which is particularly adapted for use in humidifiers.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a fan made of superimposed sheet metal members suitably secured together.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel fan, including blade members having turned down portions thereon, adapted to advance a column of air without spreading.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a fan including a plurality of members, each of which includes a hub portion and a vane portion and with the hub portions secured together and with the vane members bent at an angle to the hub portion and with each vane having curved ends adapted to direct a column of air.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a central sectional view through an evaporative cooler including a fan embodying the features of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the cooler on a reduced scale and with parts broken away.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation on a further reduced scale.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the fan.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary central sectional view through a modified form of construction, and

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view showing the modifled fan.

This invention is a continuation in part of my prior application Serial No. 351,605, filed August 6, 1940.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters I have shown my invention as embodied in an evaporative cooler which is indicated generally at H). As shown the cooler includes a housing ll having a bottom l2 therein to thereby form a receptacle 12'. The bottom I2 is provided with a down turned flange l3 which may be suitably welded or otherwise secured in place.

The top of the housing I I includes an outwardly directed bead I4 which is engaged by a down turned flange l5 on an annular ring H5.

The ring l6 has the edge of a dome shaped reticulated mesh member I! secured thereto as by soldering and the flange I5 is removable to allow access to the interior of the housing.

The housing intermediate its length includes a slot l8 which extends more than half way around the housing to provide an outlet for the conditioned air. Extending across the slot I8 I show a grill which includes transverse members I!) and arcuate members 2!] which are secured as by welding to the transverse members. At each end the transverse member is secured to the housing as by a screw 2| so that the grill may be removed for cleaning or other purposes.

Spaced above the bottom I2 I show a transverse partition 22 which has an upwardly extending peripheral flange 23 thereon and which is provided with a central aperture 24. The partition 22 includes upwardly extending beads or corrugations 25 so that as the circulating water impinges upon the beads ripples will be produced and agitation of the water secured. The partition 22 forms a container for water pumped from the receptacle l2.

The bottom I2 is shown as provided with the corrugations 25 so that the bottom l2 and partition 22 may be made in the same die but there is no function in the corrugations shown in the bottom l2.

The housing includes a transversely extending bracket 29 which has flanged ends 30 secured to the housing and has inwardly directed portions which surround a motor 3| and are clamped against the motor by bolts 32. The flanges 30 on the end of the brackets are in line with securing members 33 so that the same fastening means serves to secure the members 29 and 33 in place. The members 33 have apertures 34 receiving a bail 35 by means of which the cooler may be moved from place to place.

The motor 3| includes an armature shaft 36 on which a collar 31 is secured by a set screw 38. The collar 31 is engaged by a fan member 39 which includes a pair of superimposed fan members 40 and 4|. Each of the fan members includes a central hub portion having a plurality of outwardly directed vane members thereon. The vane members have their trailing edge arranged in quadrilateral form and their leading edge includes downwardly directed tongues 42 each of which extends beneath the preceding vane member.

The vane members are rounded at the lower edge 43 and are bent inwardly as shown. The fan members 40 and 41 are secured together as by rivets 44 and may be secured to the collar 31 as by welding. A second collar 45, coaxial with the collar 31, is shown as secured as by welding to the lower fan members and includes an aperture 46 receiving a shaft 41 which is held in place by a set screw 48.

At its lower end, the shaft 41 extends through the aperture 24 in the partition 22 and supports a rotary pump member, which is indicated generally at 5| and which forms no part of the present invention.

To control the circuit to the motor 32, I provide a switch 60 of standard type, which may be secured to the housing as shown in the drawing.

When the device I is used as a fan to merely circulate the air in the room, the switch BB is operated and the motor 3| drives the fan member 59, which draws air through the mesh mem ber l1 and discharges it through the slot 18.

When the device is used as an evaporative cooler, the space within the housing I I above the bottom is filled with water as shown in Fig. 1. This water is introduced through a filling spout 6| having a cover 63 thereon.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I show modification of my invention wherein the housing 18 is provided with a bracket H which supports a motor E2. The motor includes an armature shaft 13 on which a fan or impeller indicated generally at 74 is supported.

As shown the fan M includes a pair of identical superimposed sheet metal members 15, each of which includes a generally circular hub portion 16 having opposed vanes Tl extending therefrom.

The vanes I1 of the two members 15 are positioned at right angles to one another and the hub portions 16 are secured together as by spot welding as indicated at 18.

Each of the vanes ll includes a downwardly extending rearwardly inclined quadrilateral blade portion 19, the outer edges of which are bent forwardly as indicated at 80. Likewise, the inner edge of each blade is bent forwardly as at 8!.

Thus the sides and 8! of each blade forwardly converge to provide air directing means.

Coaxial with the hub portions 76 the fan '54 includes a boss 82 having an aperture 83 therein in which the armature shaft 13 of the motor 12 is positioned. The boss 82 is shown as adapted to be secured to the armature shaft by a set screw 84.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a fan, a pair of superimposed members made of sheet metal and each including a central hub portion, means to hold the hub portions in direct engagement, each hub portion having radially extending vanes thereon, the vanes of one member being alternate circumferentially with respect to the vanes of another member, each of said vanes having a downwardly extending portion thereon, a lower edge portion of each downward-1y extending portion being rounded and bent inwardly toward the axis of said hub portions and depending below the unbent portion of said lower edge.

2. In a fan, a pair of superimposed sheet metal members having hub portion and having vanes extending from the hub portions, the vanes of one member being arranged alternate with re spect to the vanes of the other members, each of said vanes including a downwardly extending, rearwardly inclined, quadrilateral blade, the lower edge of the blade being adapted to trail the upper edge thereof, the side edge portions of each blade being forwardly bent with the lines of bending in each blade converging downwardly, the lower edge of the inner side edge portion of each blade being substantially perpendicular to the lower edge of the unbent portion of each blade.

WILLIAM A. NORRIS. 

